Today’s Watch – Citizen Custom V2, 23 Jewels

Posted on April 8, 2020 by sweephand

I’ve gone for Citizen’s first watch with a black coated case today – this model was launched in 1970 and mine is from March of that year. Using the 7290 movement, with 23 jewels and second setting (‘hacking’) this model was offered with two colour schemes, and this is the monochrome version. The case number is 4-720083. The alloy case is 30% lighter than stainless steel, and Citizen described the coating as more resistant to wear than stainless steel. The dial is very easy to read, with its raised hour markers and clearly contrasting hand set:

I featured the other dial variant as a featured watch, but please note that it has incorrect hour and minute hands and day wheel, and the wrong case back – it was an early purchase, before I got better informed 🙂  With more info, it’s here: https://sweep-hand.org/2012/03/07/this-weeks-featured-watch-25-the-custom-v2-blackie/

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Today’s Watch – Citizen Special Cosmotron

Posted on April 7, 2020 by sweephand

Gone for electrical power today, in the form of a Special Cosmotron, from July 1973. The 7803 movement in these was the last development of the 78 hybrid, electro-mechanical calibre. Running at 36,000 beat per hour, the 7803 has some additional features, indicated by a button at 8 o’clock. This feature is described, along with more info on this calibre here: https://sweep-hand.org/2013/11/28/cosmotron-7803a-movement-the-special-version/

This one has a nice one piece case, although other 7803’s have screw down backs. And as with other 78xx movements the day/date change is unusual – more on that can be found on the X8/Cosmotron page: https://sweep-hand.org/the-x8-cosmotron/

The watch is running well 🙂

SONY DSC

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Today’s Watch – Citizen Auto Dater 777, 27 Jewels

Posted on April 6, 2020 by sweephand

Today’s watch is a very rare piece – I have seen just one other. It’s a special version of a Jet 27 jewel automatic, with an applied ‘777’ logo and a water resistance rating of 40m. That’s achieved by the use of a one piece case. The use of an applied ‘Autodater’ logo above the printed ‘Citizen’ name is also very unusual, whilst the dial also includes ‘DMC’ printed below the depth rating. The case back is unique to this model I think – featuring a kneeling archer. I have previously done a more detailed post about this piece in my ‘Featured Watches’ series,: https://sweep-hand.org/2016/06/10/this-weeks-featured-watch-76-jet-autodater-777/ and another that covers how I managed to get it running – although it is in great condition it was sold as a non-runner, so I got it for a very reasonable price. I am not a watchmaker, but I did have success with this one!: https://sweep-hand.org/2016/06/12/more-about-the-777-autodater/

The other example of this that I have seen so far, has gold tone markers and hands and gold plated bezel and crown. Here’s a closer look at mine:

It’s running very nicely  🙂

 

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Today’s Watch – Citizen SM Auto Dater 21 Jewels

Posted on April 5, 2020 by sweephand

Back to an automatic today, and like the UNI featured a few days ago, this one is an early oscillating weight movement. The UNI Auto Dater uses the 2400 calibre, whilst the SM uses the 2410, so it is a slightly developed version of the same movement. Two variants were made with either 17 or 21 jewels, and as far as I can decipher, the ‘SM’ name is derived from ‘slim’ – these movement are certainly slimmer than the preceding Jet designs, so that makes sense. The date change is unusual, and maybe unique, on this movement and probably why it is designated 2410 – when the crown is pulled out to set the time the date can also be changed by rotating it backwards – anti-clockwise – something I’ve not seen in any other watch:

More info on the SM models here: https://sweep-hand.org/2011/07/24/this-weeks-featured-watch-11-the-sm/

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Today’s Watch – Citizen Custom V2 Alarm Date, 21 Jewels

Posted on April 4, 2020 by sweephand

From June 1971, this is (in my opinion anyway!) a fabulous looking watch – with its standout metallic dark orange rotating ring just shouting 1970’s design. As with some other watch lines, Citizen introduced ‘V2’ designs around 1970 usually using upgraded movements and bolder dial and case designs. With the alarm models, the V2 versions continued to use the 3100 date hand winding movement, first seen in 1964.  My example is one of just two (I think) Custom V2 alarm models. Both have black coated cases, whilst this is the wilder of the two inner ring designs. The light alloy case creates a loud buzzing alarm rather than a ring, and the watch is significantly bigger than many of its contemporaries, measuring about 42mm across:

More info here: https://sweep-hand.org/2012/06/08/this-weeks-featured-watch-34-the-custom-v2-alarm-date/

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Today’s Watch – Citizen Date Flake, 22 Jewels

Posted on April 3, 2020 by sweephand

Sticking with a hand winder for today, and this time it’s the Date Flake. Not to be confused with the Diamond Flake and the Diamond Flake Date of course! 🙂  Citizen used ‘Flake’ for their early to mid-1960s thinnest calibre models, most notably seen on the Diamond Flake which was the world’s thinnest when it was launched in 1962 (see here: https://sweep-hand.org/2013/05/15/this-weeks-featured-watch-51-the-diamond-flake/)

All these models used the same calibre – the 0700 – but with differing jewel counts. 25 and 31 are found in the Diamond Flake, 25 in the Flake Date, the latter being designated 2700.  These have gold plated movements, whilst the Date Flake, movement number 2710, has 22 jewels and no plating on the movement. My example is from June 1968:

More info is available here: https://sweep-hand.org/2015/06/17/this-weeks-featured-watch-70-the-date-flake/

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Today’s Watch – Citizen Seven 23 Jewels

Posted on April 2, 2020 by sweephand

A hand winder today, the ‘Seven’ – and an interesting model, since it is the manual winding version of Citizen’s second generation Jet automatic. The movement is designated 4000, compared to the automatic calibres named 41xx, with their circular gear rotors. The case is a monocoque design (indicated by an encircled ‘x’ on the back) and mine is from April 1966. The date change on this, as with the auto calibres as well of course, is different from the norm – crown in running position winds the watch, one pull out and you can change the time. Then the crown is pulled further out and back in again to change the date  – got to be careful when adjusting the time, since pulling it too far changes the date. Citizen called this their ‘Easy Change’ mechanism. The day window is nice, showing a wheel with both English and Kanji printing:

More info on this and other variants can be found here: https://sweep-hand.org/2011/06/29/this-weeks-featured-watch-9-the-seven/

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Today’s Watch – Citizen Auto Dater UNI, 19 Jewels

Posted on April 1, 2020 by sweephand

From April 1965, this example of Citizen’s ‘UNI’ range of automatics sports a lovely ‘linen’ dial. The UNI movement, designated 2400 with date, 1400 without, was Citizen’s first oscillating weight design, marking their move away from the Jet with its circular gear.

This example was not problem free – I had to source a donor movement, but it’s now running nicely, see here: https://sweep-hand.org/2013/10/31/uni-automatic-problem/

More info on the UNI models can also be found here: https://sweep-hand.org/2011/08/02/this-weeks-featured-watch-12-the-uniautodater/

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Today’s Watch – Citizen Rally Custom Automatic

Posted on March 31, 2020 by sweephand

Feeling in a sporty mood? What could be better than a sports watch 🙂  An automatic Rally Custom to be exact – well, actually two! Citizen added the Rally Custom model to its Seven Star range around 1969, using a hacking version of the 52 movement (18,000bph), with 25 jewels it’s designated 5290. My example is from April 1969:

In 1970, Citizen added a Rally Custom to its Custom V2 range – using the same case, but with a 72 movement (21,600bph), this time with 23 jewels. Again it’s a hacking calibre, designated 7290. These are even rarer than the Seven Star version in my experience, and one variant features a nice very dark blue dial. Although looking black in many lights, with sunlight it shows its true colours:

Which do you prefer????

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Today’s Watch – Citizen Crystal Seven Custom, 23 Jewels

Posted on March 30, 2020 by sweephand

This one has an unusual dial and an interesting hand set – from August 1969, case number is 4-521226:

Still on its original ‘C’ signed bracelet, it’s running well:

This one has been ‘Featured’ so more info can be found here: https://sweep-hand.org/2013/01/05/this-weeks-featured-watch-44-the-crystal-seven-custom-23-jewels-4-521226y/

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